Cristiano Ronaldo marked the previously unheralded 12th anniversary of his now famous ‘Siu’ celebration with a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 4-0 thrashing of Rio Ave.
The 40-year-old, who topped the Saudi Pro League scoring charts last term with 25 goals, was helped in the demolition of the side from his homeland by his Portuguese colleague, new recruit Joao Felix.
The former Chelsea forward, who completed a £26million move last month, assisted two of Ronaldo’s strikes and three on the night, with the first coming after only 15 minutes via clever headed knockdown.
Ronaldo grabbed his first after combining with Felix on the edge of the box before firing into the near post before the break.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star had the chance to get his second when Nelson Abbey handled inside the area just after the hour, but the Al-Nassr skipper instead handed the spot-kick to former Liverpool man Sadio Mane. But his tame effort was easily saved by Rio Ave stopper Cezary Miszta.
Luckily for the Saudi Pro League outfit, Ronaldo was on hand to head home just 16 seconds after the miss and he would get his third only five minutes later when Felix and felled in the area and he converted Al-Nassr’s second spot kick of the match.
Cristaino Ronaldo netted a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 4-0 thrashing of Rio Ave on Thursday night
The 40-year-old was helped in the demolition of the side from his homeland by his Portuguese colleague Joao Felix
Felix helped himself to three assists, two of them for Ronaldo, in the thumping victory
Ronaldo’s compatriot Jorge Jesus replaced Stefano Pioli last month with the objective of ending Al-Nassr’s wait for the Saudi title.
The club have failed to win major honours since Ronaldo’s blockbuster move in 2022.
Following the marquee addition of Felix, this week, reports claimed that Al-Nassr are interested in signing Newcastle target Yoane Wissa.
Wissa netted 19 Premier League goals for Brentford last season and has also attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.
Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran departed Al-Nassr on loan this summer just months after completing a lucrative switch to the gulf state club.
As such, Jesus’ side are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements to partner the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in the star-studded team.
After initially being linked with a move away from the club after again failing to secure a league title win in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo ultimately signed a bumper new two-year deal with Al-Nassr in June.
The new terms, which will take him past his 42nd birthday, reportedly include an eye-watering basic salary of £488,000-a-day.
